I came to the CCP at the beginning of 2019 knowing little more than that I wanted to improve my photography. Five years later, study at the CCP has led to an invigoration of my passion for making photos, resulted in exhibitions, further studies and great opportunities. I thought I’d offer some thoughts about why I’d recommend studying  Camera Portfolio as a foundation for anyone wanting to further their photographic practice.

Structure.

Structured study sets timeframes, goals and measurable outcomes, which are a great way of tracking your progress. I’ve seen a lot of people who have a vague idea that they want to improve or that they want to change or grow as photographers but they're not quite sure on the detail. Structured study like this really puts a focus on that. At the end of each term you will have made a body of work, presented it and be ready to continue with a clear sense of what you’ve done and ideas for where you want to go. 

Class discussion.

Each week there is group discussion with  class members about what they're doing and how their work is going. This is vital, and it's such a great way of clarifying what your intent is with your work and learning to articulate it in a public space. Quite often people are initially a bit uncomfortable about doing this so it’s great to do it in a supportive environment. It's such an important skill and it really gets easier with practice. Looking at your own work and describing what your intent is with like-minded people is a fantastic way of clarifying your own ideas and moving forward towards the goal of a coherent body of structured work at the end of a time period.

A dialogue with peers.

As photographers we are finding our own path and making our own work, but there's also a wonderful dialogue that can take place with all the photographers who have gone before us. It's great to see how important photographers have worked and what they've contributed to the field of photography. The camera portfolio classes provide a broad and friendly introduction to a huge range of the great photographers, and it's important to know what they have done and be able to place your own work in context. It doesn't matter what particular area you intend to work in, the more information you have about what has gone before and how other people have tackled the same questions that concern you, the better off you’ll be. These courses provide the tools you need to understand and articulate your own work and place that work within the context of others.

Summing up.

I'd been making my own work for many years, mainly just bumbling about by myself. Sure I had made some progress but the difference between what I’d been doing alone and what I was able to do within the environment of the CCP was quite remarkable. It was such an accelerated and rewarding experience and one I’d heartily recommend.